MPA Course Descriptions ::

MOTION PICTURE ARTS MAJOR PROGRAM All students are required to enroll in 3 hours of MPA classes per semester to remain MPA majors, including approved electives from other arts areas.  Freshman and sophomore students are required to utilize MPA Foundation Electives from other arts areas their first year(s).  Students are required to participate fully in all program activities, including productions, required screenings and guest filmmaker visits.   In order to graduate from the MPA program a student must have completed/fulfilled the following requirements Introduction to Screenwriting, Introduction to Production Film History: An Overview 2 semesters of Production Workshop over Junior and Senior years 1 MPA Production Elective per year beginning as a sophomore 1 Theory and Critique Class per year 1 Screenwriting class per year 1 Foundations Elective/Year EQUIPMENT AND FEES $1260 Tech Fee The program will provide first-hand use of digital technology in the classroom, and any material fee pays for general facility expendables, maintenance and updates.  Students are encouraged to bring their own personal computers, digital video cameras, tripods, and applicable software.  The Motion Picture Arts program is Apple Macintosh based, with Final Draft screen writing software (PC and Mac) will be helpful for students using their own personal computers. GUIDELINES FOR ENROLLMENT IN MPA CLASSES FRESHMEN enroll in 3 MPA hours per semester in addition to required MPA Foundations Seminar from among the following courses: Intro to MPA Prod. – First Semester (required) Film History: An Overview - First Semester (required) Foundations Seminar – First and Second Semester (required) AND/OR Intro. to Fiction – First or Second Semester AND/OR Visual Arts: Photography – Second Semester AND/OR Visual Arts: 2D-3D Foundations – First and Second Semester AND/OR Visual Arts: Concepts of Design - Second Semester AND/OR  Theatre: Elements of Production – First Semester AND/OR  Theatre: Play Structure and Analysis -  Second Semester AND/OR  Theatre: Intro. to Acting - First and Second Semester NEW SOPHOMORES enroll in 3-4 MPA hours per semester from among the following courses: Intro to MPA Prod. – First Semester (required) Film History: An Overview – First Semester (required) Intro to Screenwriting - Second semester (required) MPA Production Elective - First and/or Second Semester AND/OR Intro. to Fiction – First or Second Semester AND/OR Visual Arts: Photography – Second Semester AND/OR Visual Arts: 2D-3D Foundations – First and Second Semester AND/OR Visual Arts: Concepts of Design - Second Semester AND/OR  Theatre: Elements of Production – First Semester AND/OR  Theatre: Play Structure and Analysis -  Second Semester AND/OR  Theatre: Intro. to Acting - First and Second Semester NEW JUNIORS enroll in at least 4 MPA hours per semester from among the following courses: Intro to MPA Prod. – First Semester (required) Film History: An Overview – First Semester (required) MPA Production Workshop Second Semester (required)  Intro to Screenwriting – First Semester (required) Directing for the Camera - First Semester (required) Advanced Screenwriting – First and/or Second Semester Film Aesthetics – Second Semester Film Genres – Second Semester MPA Production Elective - First and/or Second Semester NEW SENIORS should enroll in 4-5 MPA hours per semester from among the following courses: Intro to MPA Prod. – First Semester (required) Film History: An Overview – First Semester (required) MPA Production Workshop Second Semester (required)  Intro to Screenwriting – First Semester (required) Directing for the Camera First Semester (required) Film Aesthetics – Second Semester Film Genres – Second Semester Advanced Screenwriting - First and/or Second Semester MPA Production Elective - First and/or Second Semester COURSE DESCRIPTION Semester One and Semester Two Offerings FOUNDATIONS SEMINAR Grade 9 Semester One and Semester Two .25 credit, class meets weekly by appointment Required of MPA Freshmen This weekly meeting provides an avenue for freshmen majors to meet with instructors and guests to discuss foundation classes in order to begin the educational transfer from theatre, visual arts and creative writing into the motion picture genre.  In addition students will read treatments, discuss, view presentations of upper class MPA students preparing for Junior/Senior Thesis as well as working as a member of a production team. INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING (CREATIVE WRITING) Grades 10-12 Creative Writing and MPA majors have priority seating followed by General Arts students Semester One: MPA students grade 11-12 Semester Two: MPA students Grade 10 Seating open to non-majors in grades 11-12 space permitting  First or Second semester  .50 credit, class meets daily  This class is a basic introduction to the craft of screenwriting.  Students will read and discuss screenplays throughout the semester, focusing on story structure, scene development, filmic language, and dialogue.  Students write and workshop short scenes, basic outlines and short treatments.  ADVANCED SCREENWRITING (CREATIVE WRITING) Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: Introduction to Screenwriting (or Instructor permission)  This course may be taken twice Creative Writing and Motion Picture Arts students have priority seating Seating open to non-writing majors in grades 11-12 space permitting .50 credit, class meets daily This course is designed as a workshop for screenwriting students who are ready to work on longer scripts.  Having learned the basics students will further develop their own voice as a screenwriter, working on more in-depth outlines and treatments as well as screenplays.  Students will continue to study works of professional screenwriters and will be expected to participate in group critiques of student work.  MPA PRODUCTION ELECTIVES Grades 10-12 Class Limited to MPA Majors First or Second semester .50 credit, class meets daily  These courses will take a more in-depth approach at one particular aspect of production and will rotate each semester.  Students will be study film theory and practice within each discipline, and will learn through both hands on exercises and film examples.  Instructor will determine texts and films.  Possible electives may include cinematography, advanced editing, visual effects, sound design, animation, interactive media, and producing.  Subject to be determined based on instructor expertise.  As this class will evolve, students can take it more than once, however they cannot repeat the same subject twice. FIRST SEMESTER ONLY INTRODUCTION TO MPA PRODUCTION Course required for all first year MPA Majors Grades 9-12 Class limited to MPA Majors   First semester .50 credit, class meets daily  This course will introduce students to all aspects of production.  Students will learn hands-on in class and with assignments in the areas of storyboarding, cinematography and lighting, mise-en-scene and production design, editing and sound design.  The class will explore the medium both as a storytelling device and simply as a visual art form. Throughout the semester, in addition to daily exercises, students will produce individual silent and collaborative sync sound shorts. Students are encouraged to bring their own Mini DV cameras and laptops for extended practice outside of class, however they are not required. Text:  The Filmmaker’s Handbook by Ascher and Pincus   FILM HISTORY: AN OVERVIEW Grades 9-12 MPA majors have priority seating followed by General Arts students Seating open to non-majors in grades 11-12 space permitting  First semester .50 credit, meets twice weekly for 2 periods  This course explores the historical eras of cinema from its birth in the late 1800s through current trends, focusing on Hollywood’s formation and transformation as well as International trends.  Eras in filmmaking will be introduced to students through lectures, selected screenings, reading material and discussions.  Students are assigned essays throughout the semester to demonstrate their understanding of the historical periods and how the lectures connect with the screenings.  Students will learn how technological advances, business practices, and cultural influences have changed the art of filmmaking. At the end of the semester students will use this knowledge to discuss what the future may hold for the American Cinema. Texts and films to be determined by instructor. DIRECTING FOR THE CAMERA Grades 11-12 MPA majors have priority seating followed by General Arts students First semester .50 credit, class meets daily  This course offers advanced training in single camera directing techniques with emphasis on filming the narrative script and on the director’s relationship with the actor.  Through video exercises in class, student directors will learn camera placement for maximum effect, and explore the most effective techniques for telling the story.  Text: Mamet, On Directing Film Katz, Film Directing Shot by Shot MPA ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: Writing Focus Grades 9-12  This course may be taken each semester A different course is offered each semester MPA students  followed by Creative Writing students have priority seating, Seating open to non-writing majors in grades 11-12 space permitting .50 credit, class meets daily MPA Artist in Residence courses are special studies electives for Motion Picture Arts students and writers, designed by the artist in residence and based on that artist is specific field of interest or knowledge.  These offerings are one-of-a-kind in nature, and are rarely offered again after that writer has completed a residency here at IAA.  Assignments will include creative work as well as extensive readings and responses to the readings.  SECOND SEMESTER ONLY MPA PRODUCTION WORKSHOP: JUNIOR/SENIOR THESIS Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Introduction to Screenwriting, Film History and Directing for the Camera Required of all MPA Majors Class limited to MPA Majors Course may be repeated for credit Second Semester .50 credit, class meets daily for two hours This course is designed to work as a studio with the instructor guiding students through the production of 5-10 min short films through the duration of second semester.  Using what they’ve learned from production and theory courses students will work together as a production team, each experiencing different production roles, learning hands-on about the collaborative effort of filmmaking.  This course is required Junior and Senior years and is limited to those Junior and Senior students in good art and academic standing..   FILM AESTHETICS Grades 11-12 (Grade 10 by instructor permission) Pre-requisite: Film History MPA majors have priority seating followed by General Arts students Seating open to non-majors in grades 11-12 space permitting Second Semester .50 credit, class meets twice weekly for two periods Film selections may rotate This course offers students an in-depth look at film as an art form, analyzing specific elements of film to discover how they create cinematic language.  Students will focus on the theories of narrative structure, mise-en-scene, color, sound, space, and editing.  Each topic will be discussed in depth, through reading assignment and film screenings. Students will then write critical film analysis papers to demonstrate their understanding of how these films use each cinematic element.  Texts to be determined by instructor. FILM GENRES Grades 10-12 (Grade 9 by instructor permission) Course is offered pending enrollment MPA majors have priority seating followed by General Arts students Seating open to non-majors in grades 11-12 space permitting  Second Semester .50 credit, class meets twice weekly for two periods This course is a film studies class that will rotate topics yearly, giving students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a specific movement or genre in cinema.  Students will be given companion reading assignments to screenings and are expected to participate in weekly discussions.  Writing assignments and tests will vary depending on the subject and instructor. Subject matter, film choice and any texts will be determined by instructor.  Example Class - When Genres Collide (i.e. Film Noir and Teen Movie, Comedy and Science Fiction, etc.) MPA ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: Technical Focus Grades 9-12  This course may be taken each semester A different course is offered each semester MPA students only .50 credit, class meets daily MPA Artist in Residence courses are special studies electives for Motion Picture Arts students and writers, designed by the artist in residence and based on that artist is specific field of interest or knowledge.  These offerings are one-of-a-kind in nature, and are rarely offered again after that artist has completed a residency here at IAA.  Assignments will include creative work as well as extensive readings and responses to the readings.  Motion Picture Arts Home :: Film Education Philosophy :: Course of Film Study MPA Faculty :: Advisory Board :: DeRoy Center for Film Studies Apply :: Request Information